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Shell Bell is dancing on literal air when they leave Milliways.
Stella is an even more fortuitous find than Amariah was, and Amariah was amazing. Stella has given her everything she needs. Stella is a Space Empress and Shell Bell is going to follow right after her, probably with slightly less Space.
The fact that Shell Bell has to torture her girlfriend to accomplish anything in this department is a mood dampener, but she went and had a look at the memories of those "tastes" Stella provided and - well. They're bordered pale, even the big one. She's spooked about looking any closer; she managed to neglect to ask Stella before she went back to her Empire if looking at pain-related thoughts hurts. She looked at the square-sized memory and it was... too close to call. Stella might not even know the answer - mental opacity could easily interact somehow with mindreading. Stella might be protected against painful reading where Shell Bell, with only a wished-for imitation, might not.
But Sherlock seems content, and so -
"We're gonna take over the wo-orld, we're gonna take over the world, we're gonna take over the wooooorld," Bell sings, dancing into the house from the bar. (She can dance now. She is not in the least danger of tripping, wouldn't be even if her feet were touching the ground, and if she does anyway, she will float.)
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she_sells_seashells
she_sells_seashells
[I want to find their school and see what it's like,] Bell decides, and she starts reading passerby forearms to seek someone who's headed in that direction. It's almost like they're trying to be convenient for invisible spies.
she_sells_seashells
The school appears to operate in shifts - they're underground, and people can sleep as well during the day as they can at night, so it's most efficient that way. They get to the school just as First Shift is taking over from Third Shift, and watch the history teacher they followed setting up for the day and greeting her students. The lesson is spare, factual, and delivered to relatively attentive children.
sicaria
[The place is a match for its president,] Sherlock comments. [Very unfrivolous.]
she_sells_seashells
[Very. I wonder what they'll do in sudden excess. I think my hometown would throw a party. I'm not sure these people know what a party is.]
sicaria
[I am really very tempted to wish each and every one of them a cornucopia and an instruction packet, just to see what happens.]
she_sells_seashells
[I don't think they're underfed - just - careful. But let's have a look at the dining hall.] It's easy to find someone on their way to the dining hall after they leave the school. Everyone lines up and gets a reasonable portion of food for their size. [Yeah. I mean, if something happened to their supply they'd be in trouble, but I don't think cornucopias are the key to sweeping cultural change, especially not since we know they take refugees when refugees get this far.]
she_sells_seashells
Coin is now in another meeting. This one is with some recent refugees from District Nine, and some natives who are operating as their handlers-slash-guides while they acclimate to District Thirteen. Coin wants firsthand information about the possibility of unrest in the Districts, which she can't get by intercepting Capitol-controlled television transmissions. The Niners have nothing encouraging to say.
[This would be a very dramatic time to appear,] observes Bell.
[This would be a very dramatic time to appear,] observes Bell.
she_sells_seashells
Bell laughs over the brainphone.
She waits just a moment longer, and then Coin says: "So as far as you know, Nine is no readier to rise up than it was the last time we heard news from that part of the country?"
"Far as I know," says one of the refugees, "nobody anywhere's ready for that."
And Bell appears, and says, "You haven't been looking hard enough."
She waits just a moment longer, and then Coin says: "So as far as you know, Nine is no readier to rise up than it was the last time we heard news from that part of the country?"
"Far as I know," says one of the refugees, "nobody anywhere's ready for that."
And Bell appears, and says, "You haven't been looking hard enough."
she_sells_seashells
[Who wants fair?]
Everyone besides them in the room is taken aback, but Coin recovers fastest - she hits a button for security, and Bell says, "Hey, I'm not hostile. There's no call for that."
"Who are you, then?" says Coin in a low, dangerous voice.
"I," says Bell, and her sentence is broken up by the fact that she teleports across the room to avoid the quick-responding security guards, "am just a girl" teleport "from Four" teleport "who is very ready" teleport "to - look, this is very annoying" teleport "can you call them off?" teleport "ready to attack the Capitol." (Teleport. Teleport.)
Everyone besides them in the room is taken aback, but Coin recovers fastest - she hits a button for security, and Bell says, "Hey, I'm not hostile. There's no call for that."
"Who are you, then?" says Coin in a low, dangerous voice.
"I," says Bell, and her sentence is broken up by the fact that she teleports across the room to avoid the quick-responding security guards, "am just a girl" teleport "from Four" teleport "who is very ready" teleport "to - look, this is very annoying" teleport "can you call them off?" teleport "ready to attack the Capitol." (Teleport. Teleport.)
sicaria
Sherlock presses her hands over her mouth to stifle her giggles.
[Would you like me to do something about those?]
[Would you like me to do something about those?]
she_sells_seashells
[Nah, I can keep ahead of them and you're my reserve, remember? Besides, the idea is to convince them I'm friendly.] (Teleport.)
"Stand down," Coin says, after it becomes blindingly obvious that her guards are not going to catch Bell. "How are you doing that?"
"Magic -" At the look on Coin's face, Bell shakes her head. "No, literally, magic, I'm not mocking you. I got it from another world."
"Stand down," Coin says, after it becomes blindingly obvious that her guards are not going to catch Bell. "How are you doing that?"
"Magic -" At the look on Coin's face, Bell shakes her head. "No, literally, magic, I'm not mocking you. I got it from another world."
sicaria
[Have we anything flashier to demonstrate with?] she wonders. [I'm not sure what would make the best impression.]
she_sells_seashells
[None of my standing powers are that visually impressive - except maybe flying - but I can do a one-off if we think of something.]
"Magic," says Coin flatly. "From another world."
"Yes, exactly, I'm glad our accents have turned out to be mutually intelligible. I'm Shell Bell."
"I am President Coin."
"It says so on the door to your office," Bell points out. "Tell me, what's your plan for a District or several who do want to overthrow the Capitol?"
"Total war," says Coin shortly.
"Magic," says Coin flatly. "From another world."
"Yes, exactly, I'm glad our accents have turned out to be mutually intelligible. I'm Shell Bell."
"I am President Coin."
"It says so on the door to your office," Bell points out. "Tell me, what's your plan for a District or several who do want to overthrow the Capitol?"
"Total war," says Coin shortly.
she_sells_seashells
"Do you have nukes, or is the Capitol just afraid you might?" Bell muses.
"Classified," says Coin shortly.
"Look," says Bell, "since you're in the middle of a meeting, maybe I should go and we should schedule something and you can write it on your arm and I won't be interrupting. Does that sound good?"
"I believe I can rearrange my schedule for this," says Coin, and she shoos the refugees and their helpers out the door. (The security stays.)
"Classified," says Coin shortly.
"Look," says Bell, "since you're in the middle of a meeting, maybe I should go and we should schedule something and you can write it on your arm and I won't be interrupting. Does that sound good?"
"I believe I can rearrange my schedule for this," says Coin, and she shoos the refugees and their helpers out the door. (The security stays.)
she_sells_seashells
"Still classified?" Bell asks, after the refugees have gone.
"Very much so," replies Coin. "How did you get to this 'other world'?"
"Walked there," says Bell. "Or maybe I should just say 'classified'; is that politer?"
There is a silence, and then Coin says, "You look familiar."
"Tribute from Four, a couple years back," says Bell easily. "A Career took my place. That was after I found the other world but before I extracted much magic from it."
"Very much so," replies Coin. "How did you get to this 'other world'?"
"Walked there," says Bell. "Or maybe I should just say 'classified'; is that politer?"
There is a silence, and then Coin says, "You look familiar."
"Tribute from Four, a couple years back," says Bell easily. "A Career took my place. That was after I found the other world but before I extracted much magic from it."